FOLLOWING a question about a Christmas zoo at Cawdells department store in Watford, Mrs D Cooper of Abbots Langley wrote in: "As a small girl in the 1930's, I vaugely remember zoo animals in Cawdells basement, but I thought it was more of a circus.

"At Easter time they would also hold an Easter Pet Show with all the lambs, ducklings, chicks and bunnies.

"In those days many stores also had fascinating Santa grottos, where you sat in a train and the landscape went past the windows until you were sure you'd really travelled to Snowland, or maybe on a boat or other transport. Happy, carefee days."

Pauline Grillo, of Hemel Hempstead, also wrote in to recall Cawdells: "I was born in Watford and remember Cawdells very well. A month before Christmas, Father Christmas would arrive at the store on a stagecoach and go to his grotto, which was in the basement.

"You would see all the animals down there and Father Christmas at the end. If you had paid sixpence you would also get a present wrapped up in pink for girls, blue for boys. You could also enter a colouring competition to win a prize."

Do any readers have any further memories of the animals at Cawdells or of working in the store? Do any readers have any pictures of these seasonal events they would like to share?